The Sun Will Come Out in Claysburg Nov. 19, 20

Claysburg Area Community Theatre (CACT) will present Annie Jr. on Friday Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning best musical by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, Annie Jr. tells the story of a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find her parents.

Making his directorial debut with CACT, Edward Weiss believes that the show has an upbeat message. He said the positive message it tells makes it the perfect show for CACT's return to the stage after being dark for the last two years.

For Weiss, the show is a little bit more personal. "It was my very first show that I worked on in 1995. I was prop master for Annie at the Main Street Theatre Company in Sayreville, NJ, so Annie has always held a special place in my heart."

He added that, to him, it is a well-rounded circle. "I moved out to Claysburg and instead of just doing props, I can actually direct and bring this adorable show to life."

The title role went to CACT newcomer Lauren Imler. She said her mother wanted her to audition so that she could get some acting experience.

Imler is co-starring along with her dad Todd Imler, who will play Daddy Warbucks. She said that it is a great experience playing opposite her father.

"I get to bond with him," said Imler. "I think that's nice."

Her father agrees. "You think through things in life and you only have certain opportunities every so often," he said. "When would I ever have this opportunity to ever do this again with her? So, I thought, I have got to take advantage of that."

Bethany Wicker will play Miss Hannigan, the nasty woman who runs the orphanage where Annie lives. When asked what she will bring to this role, she said that she will do what she does with any role that she plays, whether it be a good person or a bad person or just a small role: "I will give it my all. I will do the best that I can. I will play the role the way that I think that it is meant to be played."

Weiss said that he thinks he can bring the positive message of hope that is so relevant even with today's standards with what is going on with COVID-19.

"People are just a little bit miserable and tired of everything with COVID and the restrictions," Weiss said. "This really has a nice commonality with the current standards of the poorer times and the more miserable times back then and with the hope of a brighter tomorrow, which is kind of what we are starting to experience around here as we are starting to move away from the first stages of COVID."

Tickets are on sale at C&S Market in Claysburg and at the door, the nights of the show.